The following is from the November 1999 issue, pages 305 - 306.

BY MARION MERICLE

People like me that collect military rifles, are always getting better rifles, of the same type and selling the lesser rifles, out of my collection. One rifle I had a, dou-43 #3566c, had barrel code "BHdou". This was a recent Russian Century import. I then got a better dou-43 #3415c (only 151 rifles lower in serial # than the other rifle.) This rifle had barrel code "ANdou". This rifle was not a recent century Russian import with crossed rifles (X) and all the parts not matching. (They have new serial numbers electric penciled on most, mismatched parts.) This rifle is a earlier Century import with no crossed rifles (X) and most parts matching. These close numbered rifles came back together from different times and places.

Now let's go to 98K bnz-41 7467d (see drawing; you will notice in the drawing that Mod. 98 is not on the left rail (blank).) On the other side of the ring are four eagle WaA625's (Law's book page 78 left bottom picture) and only bnz-41 is on the ring top. This rifle is a recent Century Russian import that I have now. After I got this rifle I sold bnz-41 #414K about 70,000 rifles higher. The drawing shows mod. 98 on the left rail (not blank). It had one WaA623 above the bnz on top of the ring (Law book Pa. 78 right middle picture). And only one WaA623 on right side of receiver ring (not four). This rifle came to me in 1989 from Keng's Firearms Specialty, that they imported from China. The "K" in the serial # looks like a funny "R." They made a lot of changes between 70,000 rifles in 1941. (The bnz eagle firing proof is clearer in my drawings than in Law's book page 83 picture # 108.)

Now I am going to dot-1944 #7561 aw. This rifle is a recent Century Russian (X) import. Looking at my drawing you can see the receiver serial number was not stamped very good: The "7" was stamped out of line below the other numbers, top of the "5" missing, "6" stamped twice; one is up side down, "I" stamped sideways and "W" stamped twice; once up side down. (The "A" and "W" are capital letters?) (The "P" and "WaA63" are part of the barrel code.) (The "X" is the Russian capture property mark, crossed rifles.) After I got this rifle I sold my other dot- 1944 #9848ag. Looking at my drawing, they had trouble stamping the receiver serial numbers also. This rifle is 160,000 rifles lower than #7561 aw. They stamped on the receiver the "S" twice; the first time not clear and the "AG" are capital letters, also? The "N" WaA63" is again part of the barrel code. This rifle is a Century import also, that I got in 8-97. I am not sure if it is was a Russian import or not. (The dot eagle firing proof is clearer in my drawing than in Law's book on page 238 picture 4305.)

The last drawing is the interesting barrel code of bcd 4 #9127f. It speaks for itself. "ch" probably means (FN) as that was their code and they made almost a million barrels. As usual questions or comments are welcomed, thanks.